It's That Time Again!

That one time when I wore flats on the beach...

As crazy as it seems, it's already that time again...the YES Abroad application is out for 2016-2017! If you are at all interested, please take the time to apply. Applying was one of the best decisions I've ever made. My year in Indonesia allowed me to experience so many things and opened my eyes in so many amazing ways. As hard as it can be, exchange really is an amazing opportunity! Even though I'm back in the US, I've been able to make so many connections because of my time in Indonesia and have continued to learn so much much from my experience. With that said, seriously, if you're interested and able, APPLY FOR YES ABROAD! As cheesy as it may sound, it really will change your life. Here's the link for the application: http://www.yes-abroad.org/impact/applications-available-2016-2017-program

Also, on a total side not, but kinda fitting since this blog is called "To Indonesia and Beyond", I found out earlier that I will be going to Japan for a week with the Kakehashi Project! It's a few months away, but it will definitely be great to finally get to go outside the walls Narita International. Since one of the requirements of the program is that we share our experience with others, I will definitely blog about it (and this time around I'll actually have a lot of pictures without my computer crashing...), so keep an eye out for that at either the end of this year or the very beginning of next year.

Semoga kalian senang dan sehat! Sampai ketemu lagi!さようなら

Victoria

Kuliah (One Week Down...Many More to Go)

The first time I went to ITB...was this really a year ago?
Pertama kali aku ke ITB...sudah setahun yg lalu??

Well, it's been quite a week. As hard as it is to believe, this time last week I nervous about starting classes, and now I'm already in the swing of things. I guess it's official...I'm a college student. I'm enjoying it so far, but it's sure to get overwhelming at some point. From all the running (well almost running...) I do through the hospital's campus twice a week in order to get to class on time, to the fact that I went straight from class to the activities fair to a concert yesterday, I think my body is still trying to catch up to the fact that I'm no longer an often bored exchange student.

I honestly can't complain though (although I did just finish reading for a single class for a few hours straight..). Just like this past year in Indonesia, I've been given an amazing opportunity to learn and meet so many different people with different beliefs and experiences. I've probably said it 459483 times so far, but dreams really do come true. If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have never thought that I would have actually ended up starting a nonprofit, going to Indonesia for a year, or ending up at one of the best universities in the country. I know that I would not have been able to do any of those things on my own and am extremely thankful for every person who has helped me along the way. It's always good to have goals, and trust me, achieving them feels amazing!

Speaking of goals...I should probably get on with my homework.

Thanks for reading. Sampai jumpa!

Victoria

Life Goes On

As far away as it seemed just a few short months ago, my exchange is over, and I've moved on to college. The next batch of YES Abroad Indonesia kids have started their long but exciting journey to one of the most beautiful and amazing places in the world. I wish them all the best and hope that they take this year in stride and accept every incredible opportunity that will be offered to them this year. It won't always be easy, but it will definitely be worth it.

Even though I haven't started classes yet and just moved in yesterday, I can already tell that I'm in the perfect place for me, just like Indonesia was the perfect place for me to spend my senior year. Although it was sometimes hard to see it while it was happening, every experience that I had during my exchange year, good or bad, has changed me for the better. I can now see that I am a much more outgoing and adventurous person than I was just one short year ago. I'm not afraid of getting out there and doing my own thing, and I've now been offered the amazing opportunity to study at one of the best universities in the world. I really couldn't ask for a more beautiful, diverse place to spend the next four years of my life. I know this is only the beginning, but I truly believe that I would have a much harder time thriving here if I had not pushed myself out of my comfort zone to live on the other side of the world for a year.

If anyone is thinking about studying abroad in high school, I just have one thing to say: go for it! Yes, it will be hard at times, but it's a great learning experience that will only continue to help you in life. If you have any questions about studying abroad, please feel free to contact me. I'll happily answer any of your questions to the best of my ability. I should probably get going, but I promise to write again soon.

Sampai jumpa lagi!

Victoria

Hari Terakhir

"Well this is it. Today is my last day in Bandung, and one week from today I will be on my way back to the US. As I write this, I am sitting in the living room with my host mom. I'm waiting for my driver and two other exchange students, and I leave in less than two hours.

I know I haven't posted in over a month, but this past month has been a crazy one. For one, it is currently Ramadan, so I've tried my hand at fasting. It's not nearly as hard as I thought it would be, but sometimes not drinking water all day can be a bit hard in hot Indonesia! I recently went to Tanjung Lesung, a beautiful beach in Banten, which is on the west coast of Java near Krakatau. I've gotten to meet up with old friends and make some new ones, although I didn't have the chance to see everyone again...that just means I really have to come back soon! I visited the stunning islands of Karimun Jawa as a part of this year's AFS national trip to Central Java (I'll definitely have to make..."

That's where I left my last post in Indonesia...I honestly have no idea what I was going to say because I got distracted, and I'm just getting around to posting this now because I finally got a new laptop, although I got quite comfortable with just my phone. I've now been back in the US for three weeks, and in three more weeks I'll be on my way to college (but after a trip to Disney, of course!). That's a story for another time though. I just wanted to finally post the last thing I wrote from Indonesia! This certainly won't be my last post though. I intend on continuing this blog to write about whatever adventures come my way! First stop: Reverse Culture Shock.

Until next time,

Victoria

Change Is a Scary Thing

Well this is it. Tomorrow is my last day of school. Not just my last day of school in Indonesia but also my last day of high school...EVER. Now I've technically been done high school in terms of classes I need in order to graduate for quite some time, but I still haven't graduated yet. I'm glad to technically be graduating with my class, but that means no official graduation ceremony because I'll still be in Indonesia. Obviously I willingly signed up for this setup, but I'm srtill a little sad about it. High school graduation is one of those things you dream about as a kid, and I'll never have the chance to experience it.

As my graduation date approaches, I'm starting to think about just how odd it feels to not have a ceremony. However, at the same time, I also can't imagine wanting to be in the US doing a "normal" senior year instead of  in Indonesia . I probably don't express it nearly enough, but I am so beyond grateful for every person I've met and every experience I've had in the past nine months. I really can't imagine being anywhere else right now.

I really can't believe how fast time has gone by. Just like my high school career, my exchange will soon be coming to a close. I don't know what life will be like as a college student  or when I first get back to the US, but there is one thing I do know. Change is a scary thing.

Less Than 50 to Go

As of today, I have only about 50 days left in Indonesia. In fact, I actually leave Indonesia 7 weeks from tomorrow (noooooo harus pulang??).That might seem like a long time to you, but to me it sounds like no time at all! There's still so much that I want to see, learn, and experience before I go back to the US and start college life, but I know I can't do everything... it will just give me another reason to come back in the near future!

If I'm completely honest though, I'm more nervous about going back to the US than I was about coming here. When I left, I had no idea what Indonesia was like or what to expect from it. However, it's so different with the United States. I'm excited to go back because it's my home country (and I may be just a little exited for a soft pretzel from Philly...), but it's also a little scary because a year will have passed. I know some things will be the same, but for the time being it feels like everything will be so different. A major part of that is the fact that my high school career is very near to being over, and by the time that I get back to the US, my class will have already graduated (although that thankfully means no summer work for me!). I'm still okay with the fact that I won't be at my graduation because I worked so hard to be able to come to Indonesia, but it is a little sad. I mean, I will never be with my entire high school class again, and I won't be giving a speech. However, I still stand by the fact that I made the right decision to come to Indonesia. I know I've learned so many things that I never would have learned in another year of American high school.

I really could go on and on about the things I've learned and the things I still have to work on, but this isn't the post for that. I only have seven more weeks in this beautiful archipelago. I need to get out there and enjoy it!

Terima kasih dan sampai jumpa,

Victoria

P.S. Also, on a completely different note, my laptop decided to crash on me a few weeks ago, so I've lost almost all of my pictures from the past eight and a half months. I'm pretty disappointed, but there's nothing I can do about it. I just have to find a way to finish up my capstone project without it and take as many pictures as possible in the remainder of my time here!

Looking Back

This is something I wrote back in September when I was only a few weeks into my exchange. It's a great reminder of both how far I've come and of the fact that my time in Indonesian won't last forever. For me, a huge part of exchange is pushing myself and realizing that I'll never have the chance to do many of these things again. Just a friendly reminder that it's always great to write things down throughout your time abroad. You just might stumble upon it months or even years later and find it helpful!

Here's what I wrote: It seems so far away until it happens. I am suddenly on the other side of the world one day. I do not know anyone. Everything is unfamiliar, and I do not even know the language. However, somehow that is fine. It does not matter because there is an indescribable peace and comfort in constantly being so far outside of my comfort zone. I cannot imagine being anywhere else. There are so many things to take in, and there is so much to learn. Opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime. The shy girl who left her home some months ago will never be the same again. As time goes on, the days pass like minutes, and all I can do is remind myself to enjoy every second.

Until next time,

Victoria